Bathing chair for children



April 23, 1963 G. E. HALL ETAL 3,086,222

BATHING CHAIR FOR CHILDREN Filed Jan. 29, 1962 INVENTORS, Gloria E Hall Frank H. Jen/071s wgw United States Patent i 3,086,222 BATHING CHAIR FOR CHILDREN Gloria E. Hall and Frank H. Jenkins, both of P0. Box 305, Stephens, Ark. Filed Jan. 29, 1962, Ser. No. 169,363 6 Claims. (Cl. 4-185) This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in chair-like means particularly adapted for supporting children in connection with the bathing of such children, and which comprises a device readily mountable upon and removable from a suitable bath area such as a bathtub or the like. As is well known, it is particularly dittficult to effect bathing of young children, and even more particularly it is diflicult to effect shampooing or washing of the hair of such young children.

The present device is intended for usage in connection with such bathing activities in connection with children between the ages of one and approximately seven years and the like, and provides a device which may readily be seated in a bathtub or other suitable bathing area, and, when the use thereof has been concluded, may as simply and easily be removed therefrom. A further objection which has previously been presented by chair devices which might be adaptable for the presently contemplated use is the inability of such prior devices to be properly adjusted to the progressive changes in the size of the child or children in relation thereto as the same progress in age.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a new and novel bathing chair structure adapted for usage in connection with the bathing of children.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a device which may be readily mounted upon and removable from a suitable bathing area.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a device which may conveniently be adjusted to fit the sizes of varying size children and which is particularly adapted for adjustment to accommodate differing size children as they grow older.

A further object of the invention is to provide a seating chair for children adapted for use in conjunction with bathing or the like which comprises a base having an angularly disposed seat rearwardly tilted downwardly, a pair of side arms rigidly fixed to such seat, each of the sides being provided with a diagonally disposed slot spaced longitudinally rearwardly from the rearward end of the seat and each of the sides is provided with a similarly diagonally grooved slideway longitudinally alined with the aforesaid slots, the said grooved slideways being adapted for the reception of the side edges of a back rest member, and adjustable attachment means engaging said slots into the back rest member.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a device in which the back rest member includes a suitable head rest.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a device in which the back rest member may be adjusted from a lowered position to an extended position.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a device which includes means limiting adjusting shift of the back rest member; and

A further object of the invention is generally to improve the design, construction and efilciency of bathing chairs.

The means by which the foregoing and other objects of the present invention are accomplished and the manner of their accomplishment will be readily understood from the following specification upon reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

ice

FIG. 1 is a front view of a preferred form of a bathing chair embodying the present invention.

FIgKi. 2 is a top plan view of the device as seen in FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the device as seen in FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view from the opposite side of the device, shown with the back rest portion in an adjusted position.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view on a slightly enlarged scale taken as on the line VV of FIG. 3.

Referring now to the drawings in which the various parts are indicated by numerals, the bathing chair of the present invention comprises a pair of oppositely identical side members 11, which are rigidly interconnected at their forward ends and somewhat below the upper level of the side members by a front panel 13. The forward portion of a seat 15 rests upon and -is fixed to front panel 13, extends rearwardly therefrom at a slightly downwardly tilted angle, and along the edges of seat 15 it is rigidly fixed to and interconnects side members 11. Seat 15 terminates intermediate the front to rear length of side members 11.

Above seat 15 each of the side members is provided with an armrest portion 17 which curves upwardly then extends rearwardly, the armrests terminating slightly forwardly of the rearward edge of seat 15. Rearwardly of armrests 17, side members 11 extend upwardly and further rearwardly in wings 19. The lower edges of each of side members 11 is provided with front and rear feet 21 which preferably are covered with non-slip caps 23.

Each of side members 11 is provided with a diagonally disposed slideway 25 which extends diagonally downwardly and forwardly from the upper end of wings 19 of side members 11 throughout the depth of side members 1 1. Each of slideways 25 is disposed so that it is closely adjacent to the rearward edge of seat 15. In addition each of side members 11 is provided with a diagonal slot 27 which begins adjacent and below the upper end of wings 19 and extends downwardly throughout the extent of the wings, terminating somewhat above the level of the rear edge of seat 15 and somewhat rearwardly of the rear end of armrests 17.

Slidably mounted in slideways 25 is a backrest 29 which is slidably supported by slideways 25 in a diagonally tilted position, the position of backrest 29 intersecting the position of seat 15 at an obtuse angle. Preferably the upper end of backrest 29 is cut out as at 31 to provide a head support, and head support 31 may be provided with cushioning pad 33 as desired.

It will be observed that slots 27 are longitudinally alined with slideways 25 and extend through the body of side members 11 into communication with the slideways and through the base of the slideways into communication with backrest 29 which is slidably mounted in the slideways.

On each side member 11 is provided a thumb screw 35, having preferably a convenient handle 37. Screw 35 extends through an enlarged disc 39 and into and through slots 27 and slideways 25 into threaded engagement with the edges of backrest 29 engaged within slideways 25. When tightened into backrest 29 against side members 11, thumb screws :35 are effective to retain backrest 29 against sliding movement relative to slideways 25. When loosened from such tight engagement against side members 11 the backrest is freed for sliding movement, and upon such sliding movement moves the thumb screws with it along the diagonal slots 27.

It will thus be seen that the upper and lower limits of slots 27 aflord stop means engageable by the thumb 3 screws 35 so as to effectively provide a definition of the limits of movement of the backrest relative to the slideways.

Preferably each of side members 11 is provided with a handhold 41 for convenient handling of the chair mem her in its placing to and from use position. Handholds 41 are preferably cut through side members 11 slightly forwardly of backrest 29, and in addition to providing means for handling the device, they also provide means for the passage of a suitable strap therethrough if it is desirable or necessary to fasten the child into the bathing chair.

In the use of the device it may be positioned in a suitable bathing area such as a bathtub. When so positioned the caps 23 on feet 21 are generally effective to prevent undue sliding movement of the chair structure relative to such bathing area. After the device is positioned in the bathing area the child to be bathed therein may be placed upon the seat .15 and the backrest 29 may be adjusted until the head support 31 is moved up into line with the neck of the child. Thereupon thumb screws 35 may be tightened to hold the back rest in such adjusted position, such as for example the position shown in FIG. 4. Bathing of the child may easily be accomplished, and if it is desired to shampoo the hair of the child, the head of the child may be leaned rearwardly over the headrest 31 and pad 33 so as to eliminate the possibility of shampoo, soap or suds spattering into the face and eyes of the child.

After the bathing has been completed the child may be removed to such place as is desired for purposes of being dried off, the chair may be readjusted to fit yet another child whose bathing is desired if the size of the child is different from that of the first bather.

It will be seen that the present device thus provides a highly efiicient means by which a bathing chair for supporting a child for bathing and hair shampooing is provided; that it is readily adjustable to accommodate the size of various children who may use the chair; and that it is highly efficient in this purpose, being provided with the backrest slidably engaging the slideways, yet the movement of the backrest is positively limited so as to prevent overtravel of the backrest beyond the limits of the sildeways.

It will also be observed that, in the preferred embodiment, the upper edges of the wings of sides 11 project substantially above the level of backrest 29 and provide additional support means against lateral movement of the occupant of the chair.

We claim:

1. In a bathing chair adapted for use with children, a pair of upstanding side supports extending from front to rear of said chair and having feet for seating upon a bathing area surface, means interconnecting said side supports adjacent their front ends, a seat elevated above the bottoms of said side supports, the lateral edges of said seat rigidly connected to and spanning between said side supports below the upper edges thereof, said seat tilted rearwardly downwardly, the rear edge of said seat disposed forwardly of the rear part of said side supports, the rear part of said side supports including upwardly and rearwardly extending wings projecting substantially above said seat, diagonal slideways formed in said side supports rearwardly of and closely adjacent to said rear seat edge, said slideways extending intermediately along the wings of said side support substantially throughout the depth of said side supports diagonally downwardly and forwardly, a back rest, the side edges of the backrest slidably mounted in said slideways, said backrest being shiftable to and from adjusted positions relative to said seat, said back rest angularly disposed relative to said seat at an obtuse angle with the lower edge of said backrest below the upper surface of said seat, slots in said side supports communicating with said slideways and alined therewith, screw means mounted on said side members extending through said slots into adjustable engagement with the edges of said back rest, said screw means adjustable to hold said back rest in selected shifted positions, said slots being of less extent than said wings and limiting shifting movement of said screws under shift of said back rest to prevent overtravel of said back rest relative to said side members extending above the surface of said back rest to provide means limiting lateral movement of an occupant of a said chair.

2. In a bathing chair adapted for use with children, a pair of upstanding side supports extending from front to rear of said chair, means interconnecting said side supports adjacent their front ends, a seat elevated above the bottoms of said side supports, the lateral edges of said seat rigidly connected to and spanning between said side supports below the upper edges thereof, said seat tilted rearwardly downwardly, the rear edge of said seat disposed forwardly of the rear part of said side supports, the rear part of said side supports including upwardly and rearwardly extending wings projecting substantially above said seat, diagonal slideways formed in said side supports rearwardly of and closely adjacent to said rear seat edge, said slideways extending intermediately along the wings of said side supports substantially throughout the depth of said side supports diagonally downwardly and forwardly, a back rest, the side edges of said backrest slidably mounted in said slideways, said backrest being shiftable to and from adjusted positions relative to said seat, said back rest angulsrly disposed relative to said seat with the lower edge of said backrest below the upper surface of said seat slots in said side supports communicating with said slideways and alined therewith, screw means mounted on said side members extending through said slots into adjustable engagement with the edges of said back rest, said screw means adjustable to hold said back rest in selected shifted positions, said slots being of less extent than said wings and limiting shifting movement of said screws under shift of said back rest to prevent overtravel of said back rest relative to said side supports, the upper parts of the wings of said side members extending above the surface of said back rest and said seat to provide means limiting lateral movement of an occupant of a said chair.

3. In a bathing chair adapted for use with children, a pair of upstanding side supports extending from front to rear of said chair, means interconnecting said side supports adjacent their front ends, a seat elevated above the bottoms of said side supports, the lateral edges of said seat rigidly connected to said side supports, said seat spanning between said side supports, said seat tilted rearwardly downwardly, the rear edge of said seat disposed forwardly of the rear part of said side supports, the rear part of said side supports including upwardly and rearwardly extending wings projecting substantially above said seat, diagonal slideways formed in said side supports rearwardly of and closely adjacent to said rear seat edge, said slideways extending intermediately along the wings of said side supports substantially throughout the depth of said side supports diagonally downwardly and forwardly, a back rest, the side edges of said backrest slidably mounted in said slideways shiftable to and from adjusted positions relative to said seat, said back rest angularly disposed relative to said seat at an obtuse angle with the lower edge of said backrest below the upper surface of said seat, slots in said side supports communicating with said slideways and alined therewith, screw means mounted on said side members extending through said slots into adjustable engagement with the edges of said back rest, said screw means adjustable to hold said back rest in selected shifted positions, said slots being of less extent than said wings and limiting shifting movement of said screws under shift of said back rest to prevent overtravel of said back rest relative to said side supports.

4. In a bathing chair adapted for use with children, a pair of upstanding side supports extending from front to rear of said chair, means interconnecting said side supports adjacent their front ends, a seat elevated above the bottoms of said side supports, the lateral edges of said seat rigidly connected to said side supports, said seat spanning between said side supports, the rear edge of said seat disposed forwardly of the rear part of said side supports, the rear part of said side supports including upwardly and rearwardly extending wings projecting substantially above said seat, diagonal slideways formed in said side supports rearwardly of and closely adjacent to said rear seat edge, said slideways extending intermediately along the wings of said side supports substantially throughout the depth of said side supports diagonally downwardly and forwardly, a back rest, the side edges of said backrest slidably mounted in said slideways, said backrest being shiftable to and from adjusted positions relative to said seat, said back rest angularly disposed relative to said seat with the lower edge of said backrest below the upper surface of said seat, diagonal slots in said side supports communicating with said slideways and alincd therewith, screw means mountedon said side members extending through said slots into adjustable engagement with the edges of said back rest, said screw means adjustable to hold said back rest in selected shifted positions, said slots being of less extent than said wings and limiting shifting movement of said screws under shift of said back rest to prevent overtravel of said back rest relative to said side supports.

5. In a bathing chair adapted for use with children, a pair of upstanding side supports extending from front to rear of said chair, means interconnecting said side supports adjacent their front ends, a seat elevated above the bottoms of said side supports, the lateral edges of said seat rigidly connected to and spanning between said side supports below the upper edges thereof, said seat tilted rearwardly downwardly, the rear edge of said seat disposed forwardly of the rear part of said side supports, diagonal slideways. formed in said side supports rearwardly of and closely adjacent to said rear seat edge, said slideways extending intermediately of said side supports substantially throughout the depth of said side supports diagonally downwardly and forwardly, a back rest, the side edges of said backrest slidably mounted in said slideways, said backrest being shiftable to and from adjusted positions relative to said seat, said back rest angularly disposed relative to said seat at an obtuse angle with the lower edge of said backrest below the upper surface of said seat, slots in said side supports communicating with said slideways and alincd therewith, screw means mounted on said side members extending through said slots into adjustable engagement with the edges of said back rest, said screw means adjustable to hold said back rest in selected shifted positions, said slots being shorter than said slideways limiting shifting movement of said screws under shift of said back rest to prevent overtravel of said back rest relative to said side supports, the upper parts of said side members extending above the surface of said back rest and said seat to provide means limiting lateral movement of an occupant of a said chair.

6. In a bathing chair adapted for use with children, a pair of upstanding side supports extending from front to rear of said chair, means interconnecting said side supports adjacent their front ends, a seat elevated above the bottoms of said side supports, the lateral edges of said seat rigidly connected to said side supports, said seat spanning between said side supports, the rear edge of said seat disposed forwardly of the rear part of said side supports, diagonal slideways formed in said side supports rearwardly of and closely adjacent to said rear seat edge, said slideways extending intermediately of said side supports substantially throughout the depth of said side supports diagonally downwardly and forwardly, a back rest, the side edges of said backrest slidably mounted in said slideways, said backrest being shiftable to and from adjusted positions relative to said seat, said back rest angularly disposed relative to said seat with the lower edge of said backrest below the upper surface of said seat, diagonal slots in said side supports communicating with said slideways and alincd therewith, screw means mounted on said side members extending through said siots into adjustable engagement with the edges of said back rest, said screw means adjustable to hold said back rest in selected shifted positions, said slots being shorter than said slideways limiting shifting movement of said screws 7 under shift of said back rest to prevent overtravel of said back rest relative to said side supports.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 704,459 Hanger July 8, 1902 962,970 Musselman June 28, 1910 1,301,114 Eppler Apr. 22, 1919 2,200,247 Hess May 14, 1940 2,285,900 Chapman June 9, 1942 

1. IN A BATHING CHAIR ADAPTED FOR USE WITH CHILDREN, A PAIR OF UPSTANDING SIDE SUPPORTS EXTENDING FROM FRONT TO REAR OF SAID CHAIR AND HAVING FEET FOR SEATING UPON A BATHING AREA SURFACE, MEANS INTERCONNECTING SAID SIDE SUPPORTS ADJACENT THEIR FRONT ENDS, A SEAT ELEVATED ABOVE THE BOTTOMS OF SAID SIDE SUPPORTS, THE LATERAL EDGES OF SAID SEAT RIGIDLY CONNECTED TO AND SPANNING BETWEEN SAID SIDE SUPPORTS BELOW THE UPPER EDGES THEREOF, SAID SEAT TILTED REARWARDLY DOWNWARDLY, THE REAR EDGE OF SAID SEAT DISPOSED FORWARDLY OF THE REAR PART OF SAID SIDE SUPPORTS, THE REAR PART OF SAID SIDE SUPPORTS INCLUDING UPWARDLY AND REARWARDLY EXTENDING WINGS PROJECTING SUBSTANTIALLY ABOVE SAID SEAT, DIAGONAL SLIDEWAYS FORMED IN SAID SIDE SUPPORTS REARWARDLY OF AND CLOSELY ADJACENT TO SAID REAR SEAT EDGE, SAID SLIDEWAYS EXTENDING INTERMEDIATELY ALONG THE WINGS OF SAID SIDE SUPPORT SUBSTANTIALLY THROUGHOUT THE DEPTH OF SAID SIDE SUPPORTS DIAGONALLY DOWNWARDLY AND FORWARDLY, A BACK REST, THE SIDE EDGES OF THE BACKREST SLIDABLY MOUNTED IN SAID SLIDEWAYS, SAID BACKREST BEING SHIFTABLE TO AND FROM ADJUSTED POSITIONS RELATIVE TO SAID SEAT, SAID BACK REST ANGULARLY DISPOSED RELATIVE TO SAID SEAT AT AN OBTUSE ANGLE WITH THE LOWER EDGE OF SAID BACKREST BELOW THE UPPER SURFACE OF SAID SEAT, SLOTS IN SAID SIDE SUPPORTS COMMUNICATING WITH SAID SLIDEWAYS AND ALINED THEREWITH, SCREW MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID SIDE MEMBERS EXTENDING THROUGH SAID SLOTS INTO ADJUSTABLE ENGAGEMENT WITH THE EDGES OF SAID BACK REST, SAID SCREW MEANS ADJUSTABLE TO HOLD SAID BACK REST IN SELECTED SHIFTED POSITIONS, SAID SLOTS BEING OF LESS EXTENT THAN SAID WINGS AND LIMITING SHIFTING MOVEMENT OF SAID SCREWS UNDER SHIFT OF SAID BACK REST TO PREVENT OVERTRAVEL OF SAID BACK REST RELATIVE TO SAID SIDE MEMBERS EXTENDING ABOVE THE SURFACE OF SAID BACK REST TO PROVIDE MEANS LIMITING LATERAL MOVEMENT OF AN OCCUPANT OF A SAID CHAIR. 